Ultrasounds, classes, and more decor!

A lot has happened since the last post! Probably the most exciting was our 3D ultrasound on February 26. We decided we had to get one more peek at baby girl before she’s born and went to have a 3D/4D elective ultrasound done in Westminster. It’s amazing how much detail they show! We were able to get an amazingly clear view of our Little Fish, even though she was wedging herself back against the placenta and wasn’t feeling terribly active. We were able to see her blink and move around a little bit, and got confirmation that she’s a girl that even we could recognize! I have to say that seeing her in 3D and really getting a good look at her little face helped me connect with her so much more!

A few days after the ultrasound, I was waiting at a red light and a few seconds after it turned green someone ran their red light going the opposite direction! Luckily, I was easily able to stop and avoid an accident, but I was amazed that for the first time I felt fear only for the baby, not for myself. I think the ultrasound helped kick my mama bear instincts into gear!

My mom thinks here eyes are shaped like mine, and Polina thinks she has Erich's lips!

 

 

 

Tauer toes??

As timing would have it, the next night I attended an infant CPR class with my mom. Erich had volleyball practice, so he attended the next time the class was offered with my dad. Since both of my parents will be helping care for Little Fish when I go back to work, we were happy to have them join us for the class. Although I’ve been certified in the past in both infant and adult CPR and first aid, my certification lapsed so it was good to get a refresher course.

Erich and I also took a series of childbirth classes from the Longmont Hospital that covered everything from signs of labor to what to expect during and after delivery. The class was very informative, though I wish it had given us more information about different ways to cope with pain and more practice with breathing and massage techniques. I especially enjoyed the massage practice portion of the class! We have just one class left to take on infant care, and then we’re ready... (Or so we think!!)

On March 9, my neighbor Melinda and friend Tanya threw a baby shower for me at Melinda’s house. Jill, one of my college roommates, flew in for the weekend from Idaho so she could join in the fun. Alas the weather decided not to cooperate and a major snow storm was forecast for the day. Thankfully, it turned out to be pretty minor, and we were able to have the shower as planned, though it did keep a few friends with longer drives from the party. Melinda did an amazing job with the decorations and Tanya organized some fun games to keep the group entertained. It was a great day! Jill and I also had a great time catching up and running around as much as my pregnant body could withstand. :)

Decorations

Food!

 

Try to guess the girth of my belly!

 

 

Jill & me

In other news, I decided to start taking prenatal water fitness classes at the hospital. I still do my weekly private pilates session, but since I’m not able to do much else, this seemed like a good way to get a little more exercise. I’d heard from friends that getting in a pool while pregnant felt amazing and took all the weight off your body. Although I hadn’t felt all that heavy overall, the water did feel good. Alas, no one told me that getting out of the water would be such a challenge! The hospital pool has a ramp into the water, and with each step up the ramp I felt like someone was adding 5 lb. bags of sugar into my belly. By the time I got out I felt like I could barely move! I struggled to change back into my clothes and had to actually hold up my belly as I walked to the car. Oy!  I was thinking it wasn’t worth it if I was going to feel like that after being in the water, but I decided to give it one more chance the following week. Knowing what to expect helped a lot, and although I do feel much heavier getting out of the water than I did getting in, I’ve decided to stick with it!

Spring break was last week, and it was certainly eventful, even though I didn’t go anywhere. On Monday I decided to get lunch at Panera’s in Longmont, and when I was leaving the parking lot, the guy driving the car parked behind mine decided to pull out without looking and dented my bumper. Thankfully, the fender bender happened at very low speed, but surprisingly my neck started hurting the next day and lasted for a few days after that. At least the guy was very apologetic and accepted full responsibility, as did his insurance, though the body shop I took my car to won’t be able to work on it until April 22^nd and won’t be done with it until April 27^th. Talk about cutting it close!

 

I spent most of the rest of the week working on the baby room and getting errands done. It’s amazing how much my stamina has declined. The weekend before the accident, my mom came over and helped me make 10 crockpot freezer meals to stockpile for when the baby arrives. After 2 hours of standing in the kitchen preparing the meals, my whole body ached! I had to take a break for quite a while. I’m so glad my mom was there to help me! I managed to sit at the table and keep cutting veggies, but she pretty much finished up the meals for me. Interestingly, we had a few ingredients left over and even one of the recipe bags was left unused, so we'll see how the meals turned out. I think we may have goofed some of them up! :)

She also helped me put away some of the baby clothes that were handed down to me from Polina and put together some of the baby gear Erich and I had purchased in a recent Amazon order.

We assembled the swing and Pack n’ Play, which was no easy feat! I think we did a good job though, as both items have been “kitty approved”.

 

My friend Bea came for a visit from Grand Junction the following weekend and helped me finish organizing the baby room and also got Little Fish some pretty nice clothes and a blanket.

How cute are those sweaters/jackets???

Erich put up the book shelf ledges in the baby room, which proved to be a challenge all of their own. Turns out the dry wall anchors that came with the shelves didn’t play well with the insulation in the wall. But he persevered and after changing to different wall anchors, got the shelves installed.

 

The nursery is almost ready! Erich's mom has been sending crib sheets, teething guards, and other great things she's sewn for Little Fish; the right shades were finally installed after being manufactured incorrectly 3 times; and the last big item we’re waiting on is the glider, which should hopefully be delivered next weekend!

Spring break ended with a delicious Easter dinner at my mom’s house, which wraps up this post with our requisite belly shot:

Erich has suggested that one day when Little Fish asks where babies come from, we use that pic to explain that they hatch from eggs….